(Credit: Imago)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Thu 7 August 2025 12:30, UK

Hearts have joined Barnsley in the chase for Cheltenham Town winger Jordan Thomas, sources have told Football Insider.

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Thomas, 24, has attracted the interest of a number of clubs this summer with Barnsley having already seen one bid rejected for the attacker.

Hearts are now ready to make a move for Thomas as they look to lure the exciting talent to Scotland ahead of a number of English rivals.

The skilful winger impressed in League Two last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 48 games.

Derek McInnes wants Thomas in his squad

Oxford-born Thomas started his senior career in non-league with Didcot Town and North Leigh, then made the move to National League South outfit Bath City in 2023.

The winger’s strong form soon caught the eye as he notched 10 league goals in the first-half of the campaign for Bath, and he made the step up to the EFL with Cheltenham in February 2024, signing a two-and-a-half year deal.

He has continued his rapid progression at Whaddon Road by notching nine goals and five assists in his first full season at the club in 2024/25, and Football Insider revealed in March that both Millwall and Hibernian were among a number of clubs tracking Thomas after they had each sent scouts to watch him play.

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The race for his services has continued into the summer, but it is two different EFL and Scottish Premiership sides that now look set to do battle for his signature as Hearts line up a bid after Barnsley saw their first approach rejected by Cheltenham last month.

As they plot a move for Thomas, it is clear that Hearts are not planning to sit still in the summer transfer market having already brought in the likes of Claudio Braga and Elton Kabungu from Aalesund and Union Saint-Gilloise respectively.

Derek McInnes has been busy shaping his squad over the last few months to try and improve on last season’s seventh-placed finish, and their recent new investment will be welcomed in support of that.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom completed a £9.86million deal to buy a 29 per-cent stake at Tynecastle last week, and football finance expert Stefan Borson has told Football Insider that both Celtic and Rangers’ European revenues could be impacted if the Scottish Premiership becomes more competitive following his arrival at Hearts.

Bloom has stated that he wants to “disrupt the pattern of domination which has been in place for far too long” in Scotland, and it is clear that Hearts are on the right path to doing so by aiming to sign Thomas.

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